Lanark County Genealogical Society : Smith's Canadian Gazetteer, 1846 : Dalhousie District

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SMITH'S 1846 CANADIAN GAZETTEER : DALHOUSIE DISTRICT
Consists of the County of Carleton, which returns a member to the House of Assembly; and comprises the townships of Fitzroy, Goulbourn, North Gower, Gloucester, Huntley, March, Marlborough, Nepean, Osgoode, and Torbolton. This district, which is bounded on the north by the Ottawa River, is also watered by the Mississippi, the Rideau, and the Petite Nation Rivers. The Dalhousie District, being more dependant upon the lumber trade, than upon agricultural pursuits, advances but slowly. Much of the land in this district is of rather poor quality, being stoney and rocky. There is, however, a sufficient quantity that is fit for agricultural purposes. The larger portion of the inhabitants being engaged in preparing timber for the Quebec market, agriculture is neglected, and the consequence is, that provisions are dearer in Bytown than in any other town in Canada West. The Rideau Canal passes through the district. 60,684 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in the Dalhousie District; to purchase any of which, application must be made to the Crown Lands' Agent at New Edinburgh, near Bytown. Population of the district in 1842 : 19,612; since when it has probably increased one-fifth. The following abstract from the Assessment Rolls will show the rate of increase, and improvement in the district :

SMITH'S 1846 CANADIAN GAZETTEER :
DALHOUSIE DISTRICT

Consists of the County of Carleton, which returns a member to the House of Assembly; and comprises the townships of Fitzroy, Goulbourn, North Gower, Gloucester, Huntley, March, Marlborough, Nepean, Osgoode, and Torbolton. This district, which is bounded on the north by the Ottawa River, is also watered by the Mississippi, the Rideau, and the Petite Nation Rivers. The Dalhousie District, being more dependant upon the lumber trade, than upon agricultural pursuits, advances but slowly. Much of the land in this district is of rather poor quality, being stoney and rocky. There is, however, a sufficient quantity that is fit for agricultural purposes. The larger portion of the inhabitants being engaged in preparing timber for the Quebec market, agriculture is neglected, and the consequence is, that provisions are dearer in Bytown than in any other town in Canada West. The Rideau Canal passes through the district.
60,684 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in the Dalhousie District; to purchase any of which, application must be made to the Crown Lands' Agent at New Edinburgh, near Bytown.
Population of the district in 1842 : 19,612; since when it has probably increased one-fifth. The following abstract from the Assessment Rolls will show the rate of increase, and improvement in the district :

Date.

No of
Acres
Cultivated.

MILLS
Grist.	Saw.

Milch
Cows.

Oxen,
4 years
old, and
upwards.

Horned
Cattle
from 2 to 4
years old.

Amount of
Ratable
Property.

1842

42,357

4718

1268

1821

£167,816

1843

47,567

5208

1317

1694

£189,892

1844

44,146

£166,210

**Government and District Officers in the Dalhousie District:**
OFFICE	NAMES	RESIDENCE
Judge of District Court	Christ'r Armstrong	Bytown.
Judge of Surrogate Court	Do.
Sherrif	Edward Malloch	Do.
Clerk of Peace	F.C. Powell (since resigned)	Do.
Treasurer	D. O'Connor	Do.
Inspector of Licenses	Arch. McDonell	Osgoode
Clerk of District Court	B. Billings	Bytown
Registrar of Surrogate Court	Do.
District Clerk	G.P. Baker	Do.
Crown Lands' Agent	John Durie	New Edinburgh
Warden	Hon. T. McKay	Bytown
Coroners	J. Stewart John Ritchey W. Smyth Thomas Sproule	Bytown Do. Gloucester Goulborn
In consequence of the absence of the Superintendent, I was unable to obtain any account of the schools in this district.

BRITANNIA.
A Settlement in the north of the township of Nepean, situated on the Ottawa River. It has only lately been laid out, and contains very few houses.
BYTOWN.
The District Town of the Dalhousie District : situated in the north-east corner of the township of Nepean, on the Ottawa River. It is divided into two portions, called Upper and Lower Bytown; the former is the most aristocratic, the latter the most business portion of the town. The lower town has been long settled : the upper town has been more recently erected, and is situated about half a mile higher up the river, and on considerably higher ground. The land on which the upper town is erected, together with a portion of that comprising the lower town, was purchased some years since for the sum of £80, and is now computed to be worth some £50,000 or £60,000. The Rideau Canal enters the Ottawa River just above the lower town, where eight handsome locks have been constructed to overcome the fall in the river. The scenery about Bytown is, next to that at the Falls of Niagara, the most picturesque of the inhabited portion of Canada. The Chaudiere Falls, a short distance above the upper town, are very beautiful. Just below the falls, a handsome Suspension Bridge has been constructed over the Ottawa, which connects Upper with Lower Canada. Bytown is principally supported by the lumber trade. On the Lower Canadian side of the river, slides have been constructed to facilitate the passage of the rafts. Here all timber brought down to the river, which has been cut on Crown lands, is measured, and the owner enters into a bond for the payment of the duties at Quebec. The town is fast improving in appearance, and several handsome stone buildings are already erected. The Barracks are in a commanding situation, on the highest part of the bank of the river, between the upper and lower town, and are garrisoned by a company of Rifles. The inhabitants of the lower town are about one-third French Canadians, the remainder are principally Irish. Churches and chapels in the lower town, five; viz., Catholic, Free Church, two Methodist, and Baptist : in Upper Bytown, three; viz., Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist. The Jail and Court House are of stone. Two Fire Engines are kept; one in the upper and one in the lower town. There is a "Commercial Reading-room," supported by subscription; and a "Mercantile Library Association." A Fair is held at Bytown on the second Tuesday in April, and the third Wednesday in September. Three newspapers are published here weekly : the "Ottawa Advocate," "Bytown Gazette," and "Packet." During the season, a steamboat plies daily between Bytown and Grenville, in Lower Canada, leaving Bytown in the morning, and returning from Grenville in the evening. And comfortable boats of a good size, ply on the Rideau Canal, between Bytown and Kingston; but, as they are generally engaged in towing barges, there is little dependance to be placed on their regularity. Population of Bytown : about 7,000. Post Office : post daily. The mail is conveyed to Kingston on horseback. The following Government and District Offices are kept in Bytown : Judge of District Court, Sheriff, Clerk of Peace, Judge of Surrogate Court, Treasurer, Registrar of Surrogate Court, District Clerk, Clerk of District Court, Coroner, Collector of Timber Duties. Professions and Trades : In Upper Bytown : three lawyers, two grist mills, two saw mills, three foundries, 14 general stores, two lumber merchants' stores, two druggists, one printer, five blacksmiths, two saddlers, seven shoemakers, four tailors, three cabinet makers, one tinsmith, one butcher, one baker, one barber, one waggon maker, four taverns, one ladies' school. Three Bank agencies : "Montreal," "Upper Canada," and "Bank of British North America." In Lower Bytown : one physician and surgeon, four lawyers, 32 stores, six tanneries, two breweries, two druggists, one soap and candle factory, two printers, 35 taverns, 50 groceries, 20 beer shops, six saddlers, 14 shoemakers, six tinsmiths, six tailors, three watchmakers, seven butchers, eight bakers, four cabinet makers, one coach maker, one turner, four waggon makers, two hatters, seven schools. Two Bank agencies: : "Commercial," and "City Bank of Montreal." Principal Taverns : Upper Town : "Dalhousie Hotel," and "Exchange." Lower Town : "British Hotel," and "Ottawa House." Forwarders : Hooker, Henderson & Co., Sanderson & Murray, Macpherson, Crane & Co., H.& S. Jones, Quebec Forwarding Company, John Egan & Co., all with storehouses at Canal Wharf. Land Agent : Christopher Armstrong.
Tables of steamboat fares, quantities and value of timber, etc., omitted.
CARLETON, COUNTY OF. : See DALHOUSIE DISTRICT.
FITZROY.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of Torbolton; on the north-west by McNab; on the south-west by Pakenham; and on the south-east by Huntly. In Fitzroy 29,392 acres are taken up, 5,304 of which are under cultivation. The Mississippi River runs through the west of the township, from south to north; on the banks of which there is considerable pine. 2,751 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in Fitzroy, at 8s. c'y per acre. The village of Fitzroy Harbour is situated in the north corner of the township, on the Ottawa River; and there are two grist and four saw-mills in the township. Population in 1842 : 1,746. Ratable property in the township : £18,268.
FITZROY HARBOUR.
A Village in the township of Fitzroy : situated on a bay of the Ottawa River. There are some very beautiful falls a short distance above the village. During the season, a steamboat runs from Aylmer, a village on the Lower Canadian side of the Ottawa, six miles above Bytown, to Fitzroy Harbour, three times a week, (fare 7s. 6d. c'y). Another steamboat starts from Mississippi Island (an island in the Ottawa, containing about 1,000 acres, two miles and a half above Fitzroy Harbour), and runs to the Snows, a lumbering establishment on the Ottawa, 28 miles above the harbour; the space between Fitzroy Harbour and Mississippi Island being unnavigable, on account of the falls and rapids in the river. Fitzroy Harbour contains about 500 inhabitants; and a Catholic church. Post Office : post three times a-week. Professions and Trades : One Physician and Surgeon, one grist and three saw-mills, one brewery, one ashery, four stores, two taverns, two blacksmiths, one waggon maker, one fanning mill maker, one cabinet maker, four shoemakers, two tailors.
GOULBOURN.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of Nepean; on the north-west by Huntley and March; on the south-west by Beckwith; and on the south-east by Marlborough. In Goulbourn 44,714 acres are taken up, 9,319 of which are under cultivation. This is the best settled township in the Dalhousie District, and contains some good farms. The village of Richmond is situated in the east corner of the township, and there is one grist-mill in the township. 10,540 acres of Crown land are open for sale in Goulbourn, at 8s. c'y per acre. Population in 1842 : 2,606. Ratable property in the township : £26,755.
GOWER, NORTH.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the east and south-east by the Rideau Canal; on the north-west by Nepean; and on the south-west by Marlborough. In North Gower 17,474 acres are taken up, 3,400 of which are under cultivation. Much of the land in this township, bordering on the Rideau Canal, is poor and stony. 430 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in North Gower, at 8s. c'y per acre. Population in 1842 : 855. Ratable property in the township : £9,549.
HUNTLEY.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the east and north-east by the township of March; on the north-west by Fitzroy; on the south-west by Ramsay; and on the south-east by Beckwith. In Huntley 30,626 acres are taken up, 5,727 of which are under cultivation. This township is getting well settled: there is some good land in it, but a considerable portion of the timber is pine. A branch of the Mississippi River and Carp River run through the township. 14,079 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in Huntley, at 8s. currency per acre. There is one saw mill in the township. Population in 1842 : 1,771. Ratable property in the township : £16,686.
MARCH.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the north-east by the Ottawa River; on the north-west by the township of Torbolton; on the south-west by Huntley; and on the south-east by Goulbourn. In March 19,323 acres are taken up, 3,092 of which are under cultivation. A lake, called "Constance Lake," containing about 500 acres, is situated in the centre of the north of the township. The land in the south of the township is of excellent quality; that in the north is not so good. The timber in the south is principally hardwood; that in the north is mostly pine. 1,372 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in March, at 8s. currency per acre. There are one grist and two saw mills in the township. Population in 1842 : 831. Ratable property in the township : £9,772.
MARLBOROUGH.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of North Gower; on the north-west by Goulbourn; on the south-west by Montague; and on the south-east by Oxford. In Marlborough 18,114 acres are taken up, 2,993 of which are under cultivation. The Rideau River and Canal borders the township on the south-east. There is a considerable portion of good land in the township; but some of that on the Rideau Canal is poor and stoney, and much of the timber is pine. In Marlborough 8,254 acres of Crown lands are open for sale, at 8s. currency per acre. There are two saw mills in the township. Population in 1842 : 893. Ratable property in the township : £10,157.
NEPEAN.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the east by the township of Gloucester; on the north by the Ottawa River; on the west by March and Goulborne; and on the south-east by North Gower. In Nepean 37,481 acres are taken up, 7,454 of which are under cultivation. The Rideau river and canal form the eastern border of the township. The town of Bytown is situated in the north-east corner, on the Ottawa River, and a small settlement called Britannia, in the north of the township. Nepean is well settled, and contains some good farms; the great demand for provisions at Bytown, occasioned by the extensive business carried on in lumber in the District, always ensuring the farmer a good price for his produce. 786 acres of crown lands are open for sale in Nepean, at 8s. currency per acre. There are two saw mills in the township, exclusive of three in Bytown. Population in 1842 : 7,294, which included the town of Bytown. Ratable property in the township, (not including Bytown), £21,275.
NEW EDINBURGH.
A Village in the north-west corner of the township of Gloucester : situated on the Ottawa, at the mouth of the river Rideau, about one mile east from Bytown. The river, a short distance above the village, divides into two branches, which fall into the Ottawa, forming two perpendicular falls of about 34 feet in height. The scenery about the village is very picturesque. New Edinburgh contains about 150 inhabitants, one grist mill, one saw mill, brewery, carding machine and cloth factory, two stores, one shoemaker.
OSGOODE.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of Russell, on the north-west by Gloucester; on the west by North Gower; and on the south-east by Mountain and Winchester. In Osgoode 46,035 acres are taken up, 5,486 of which are under cultivation. The Rideau Canal and River border the township on the west for the greater portion of its depth. At the north-west corner of the township is an island containing about 1,000 acres, formed by two branches of the Rideau River. There is some good, but a large portion of poor land in the township; particularly that bordering on the Rideau Canal. In Osgoode 7,459 acres of Crown lands are open for sale at 8s. c'y per acre. There is one saw-mill in the township. Population in 1842 : 1,440. Ratable propery in the township : £16,748.
OTTAWA RIVER. (See in OTTAWA DISTRICT.)
PETITE NATION RIVER.
Takes its rise in the township of Osgoode : flows south to near the south border of Mountain, where it makes a bend to the north-east, and passes through the south of that township, the south-east of Winchester, and the west of Finch; in the south of Cambridge it receives a branch which takes its rise in the north of Osgoode, and flows through the centre of Russell. After receiving this branch, the Petite Nation River passes through the centre of Cambridge, running nearly north; at the north corner of the township it receives a branch from Gloucester, Cumberland, and Clarence, and flows north-east to near the south-east corner of Plantagenet, where it makes a bend, and runs north-west to the Ottawa River, which it enters near the north-west corner of Plantagenet. Large quantities of lumber are cut on its banks, which is mostly carried down the Ottawa.
RICHMOND.
A Village in the south-east corner of the township of Goulbourn, 20 miles from Bytown, situated on the Goodwood River, which flows through the village. The houses are much scattered -- the village extending over 200 acres of land, each lot containing one acre. The place was laid out, in 1818, by the Duke of Richmond, (who died shortly afterwards in the neighbourhood, of hydrophobia), and was originally settled by Highland Scotch. It contains about 1,200 inhabitants. There are three churches in the village, viz., Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Catholic. Post Office : post three times a-week. Professions and Trades : Ten stores, four taverns, two waggon makers, one cabinet maker, two blacksmiths, three tailors, four shoemakers.
RIDEAU CANAL. (See listing in Bathurst District)
TORBOLTON.
A Township in the Dalhousie District : is bounded on the north and north-east by the Ottawa River; on the south-east by the township of March; and on the south-west by Fitzroy. In Torbolton 7,920 acres are taken up, 1,097 of which are under cultivation. But little is done in this township in the way of agricultural operations, the inhabitants being principally engaged in lumbering. 4,633 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in Torbolton, at 8s. c'y per acre. Population in 1842 : 389. Ratable property in the township : £3,716.

Post Offices in the Dalhousie District
List of Post Offices			Distances in Miles from:
Name of Office	Name of Town, Village or Township	Name of Postmaster	Toronto	Kingston	London	Cobourg	Chatham	Goderich	Barrie
Bytown	Bytown, t	B.W. Baker	328	142	466	256	532	483	388
Huntley	Huntley, t'p	John Graham	321	144	459	249	525	446	381
March	March, t'p	Thos. Read	340	163	478	266	544	495	400
Richmond	Richmond, v	Geo. Lyon	307	130	445	235	511	460	367

Magistrates who have qualified in the Dalhousie District
W. Thompson	Nepean
John Richey	Fitzroy
W. Campbell	Marlborough
John McNab	Osgoode
W.B. Bradley	Huntley
W. Stewart	Bytown
Ed. M. Barrie	Smith's Falls
Alex. McDonell	Osgoode
Daniel Burrit	Marlborough
James Stevenson	Bytown
Henry Harmer	Osgoode
G.W. Baker	Nepean
Hamnet Pinhey	March
David McLaren	Torbolton
John B. Lewis	Richmond
Stephen Collins	Nepean
Arch. McDonell	Osgoode
G. Lyon	Richmond
W.H. Thompson	Bytown
John Buckham	Torbolton
Daniel O'Connor	Bytown
John Chitty	Bytown
Donald McArthur	Bytown
Simon Fraser	Bytown
Robert Sherriff	Fitzroy
Fred. Bearman	Nepean
John McNaughton	Bytown
John Eastman	Marlborough
W.B. Bradley, jun.	Huntley

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